It often desirable when engaging in ticket-based activities to avoid long lines for purchasing tickets. For example, lines for purchasing tickets at theaters to attend performances or at train stations to travel aboard trains can be long and slow. Further, once a ticket is purchased for, e.g., a particular theater in a multiplex cinema or a particular train in a station, the purchaser cannot switch theaters or trains without exchanging the ticket or purchasing a new one. This is especially true if the different locations are associated with different ticket prices. Further, even if ticket prices do not vary, the problem still arises if ticket sales are tracked to ensure sufficient capacity (e.g., each ticket sold for a particular theater or train is deducted from the remaining capacity of that theater or train until the maximum capacity is reached).
This background discussion is intended to provide information related to the present invention which is not necessarily prior art.